Denmark to reopen embassy in Syria

The Danish Embassy in Syria has been closed to the public since 2012, when the fighting during the Syrian civil war intensified.

Today, Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen has informed the Foreign Policy Committee that the embassy will be reopened later in 2026, and that a Danish ambassador to Syria will be appointed.

”With the reopening of our embassy in Syria, we will be better able to push for a positive development in Syria. We also wish to increase cooperation with the Syrian transitional government on return and repatriation. I discussed this with the Syrian Foreign Minister when I visited Damascus in November, and having a Danish embassy in the country will give us better opportunities to follow through on this”, says Lars Løkke Rasmussen.

For further contact: pressevagten@um.dk

Background

The reopening of the Danish Embassy in Syria will provide better conditions for strengthened diplomatic relations with the Syrian transitional government. In addition, it will allow for enhanced cooperation on return and repatriation of Syrian refugees.

The reopening will also improve opportunities for maintaining close dialogue with the UN and other partners in Syria regarding Danish humanitarian assistance and support for early recovery. Denmark’s development assistance related to Syria amounted to approximately DKK 660 million last year.

The reopening of the Danish Embassy in Syria comes in addition to the government’s announcement on 5 December last year regarding the opening of new embassies in Albania and Argentina, a new consulate general in Ho Chi Minh City, and the closure of the Danish embassy in Myanmar.

The Danish Embassy in Damascus has been closed to the public since 2012, but was never formally closed. Today, the embassy is staffed with three local employees. The Nordic countries all lease office spaces in the Danish embassy building.